To melt chocolate using a tempering machine, you initiate the process by heating the chocolate to a specific temperature. This is often the crucial first step in preparing chocolate for tasks like molding or coating, especially when tempering is required.
Based on standard procedures for using chocolate tempering machines, you typically begin by adding your solid chocolate (like callets or chopped blocks) into the machine's basin. The melting phase involves raising the temperature of the chocolate until it becomes fully liquid. According to common practice in tempering, this is achieved by turning the machine's thermostat up.
Specifically, to melt your chocolate in a chocolate tempering machine, you will turn the thermostat up to 45°C. This temperature ensures that all different types of cocoa butter crystals within the chocolate are fully melted, preparing it for the subsequent steps of cooling and seeding (such as adding Callets™) needed to achieve proper temper. After reaching this melting temperature, the machine's thermostat is then adjusted down for the cooling phase (e.g., lower to ± 31°C for dark chocolate).
